While NCUI continues to await a response from the office of the Central Registrar on the proposed guidelines for holding elections, the Central Arecanut & Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative Ltd. (CAMPCO) has, succeeded in getting a response from the Ministry.
Campco had indeed been working hard to get a reply and it had to finally seek an intervention by Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Coal & Mines, Government of India, in the matter.
The Ministry responded to Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi’s letter saying “The elections as of now shall stand postponed.” Signed by Deputy Director (Cooperation) Arvind Kumar, the letter talks of Karnataka’s situation in the wake of Covid and refers to the state govt stand on the same.
Arvind Kumar wrote “In view of the prevailing situation and the directions of the state Government of Karnataka wherein vide circular Ref No. RCS/ADM-3/43/2019-20 dated 21.3.2020 the elections of State Cooperative societies/ Cooperative Banks have been postponed till further orders, the society is advised to keep a close watch on the developments and revert to this office by end of August, 2020 with a proposed plan. The elections as of now shall stand postponed.”
Conceding indirectly that the reply was given due to the Minister’s intervention, Kumar wrote to Campco “I am directed to refer to D.O. letter of Sh. Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, Hon’ble Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines, G overnment of India dated 16.06.2020 enclosing your letter ELECTION/CR/05/2020-21 dated 27.05.2020 regarding seeking guidelines to conduct the election of Board of the society and letter PR/CR/ELCTN/2020 dated 11.06.2020 to CRCS regarding request for extension of timeline to hold the meeting of the general Body and conduct of election of Board of Directors which is due on 30.08.2020, considering the situation which has arisen because of the outbreak of COVID-19 .”
Cooperators wonder how many co-ops, caught in a similar situation could seek ministerial interventions to seek a reply from the babus of the Ministry!
Indian Cooperative has gathered that after much persuasion the ministry has given NCUI the time on Monday (today) for presenting its case for holding elections. “The outcome would be known by the evening only”, said an NCUI official. 
